Interlocking device for circuit-breakers.



PATENTED OUT. 16, 1906.

C. H. HILL.

INTERLOCKING DEVIOE FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB, 3. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l Fig. l'.

Inventor. Charles I-H-| i l l. y

Witnes ses. 74 764 fimw PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

C. H. HILL. INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.3.1905

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2 wltnesses' I Inventor.

CharlesHllill.

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flttg UNITED STATES IEAJFENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. HILL, OF SOHENECTA DY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR'IO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed February 3, 1905. Serial No. 248.983.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Devices for Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to breakers for electric circuits; and its object is to provide a simple and positive interlock between two circuit-breakers so arranged that the opening of one of the breakers will produce asimultaneous' operation of the second, while the second breaker may be free to operate without disturbing the first.

It sometimes happens that it is desirable u on the breaking of one of two circuits t at the other circuit should be also broken immediately, while it is of no importance that opening the second circuit should produce an' opening of the first. Such a case, for instance, is that of a motorenerator set charging a storage battery. ll the motorcircuit is opened from any cause, such as an overload, in i:- .nporta.:t that the battery should be immediately d. iconnected from the generator, both to prevent discharge of the battery and also to prevent the. generator from operating as a motor supplied from the battery and possibly running away and resulting in damage. On the other hand, breaking the battery-circuit can have no dangerous effect upon the motor-generator set. Consequently, while it is desirable that the breaker in the motor-circuit should produce by its operation a simultaneous operation of the breaker in the battery-circuit, the latter breaker should be free to operate without disturbing the first.

My invention is designed to offer a simple and eflicient interlock for such and similar cases; and it consists in the combination, with two circuit-breakers, of a member operated by the movement of one breaker and connections between that member and the tripping device of the second breaker, whereby movement of the member trips the second breaker, while free movement of the tripping device is permitted without )roducing a corresponding movement of said member.

More specifically stated, my invention consists in the combination of two breakers and a rod connecting the breakers, of means such as a spring tending to move the rod, S means for preventing the. movement of the rod as long as one breaker is closed, and a lost-motion connection between the rod and the tripping mechanism of the second breaker such that a movement of the rod trips the second breaker; but the tripping mechanism oi? the second breaker is free to move without moving the rod.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure .1 shows a front elevation of the two :ircuit-ln'eakers provided with interlocking means arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of one of the breakers and of the interlocking means. Fig. 3 shows a front elevation of the interlocking means corresponding to Fig. 1 with the parts in the osition they assume whenv the circuit-breakers are tripped. Fig. 4 shows a view looking upward at the interlocking mechanism of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a similar view looking upward at the interlocking mechanisn'i in the osition shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the locking device along the axis of the rod 1), and. Fig. 7 an end view of the stationary member J.

In Fig. .1, A and. B represent two automatic circuit-breakers in separate circuits provided. with the tripping devices a and b, respectively. These circuit-breakers and their tripping devices may be of any wellknown type, and the details of construction,

which form no part of my present invention, 0 need not be described here. The circuitbreaker A carries a stud O, (clearly shown in Fig. 2,) which when the circuit-breaker is closed engages the head of a pin 1 which extends through the board and the rear end 5 of which engages one arm of the lever I). This lever, which is clearly shown in Fig 4 and 5. i.--t provided with a tension-spring F. whi h tends to move it. so as to press pin 1) i'm'ward. This movement is prevented as long as the circuit-breaker A is closed; but upon the opening of the circuihbreaker the pin D is pushed forward, as shown in Fig. 5, until the )rojection d engages the boitom of a slot in the stationary member 1. Another 10 5 arm of the lever E is pivotally connected to the rod G, the farther end of which on ages b a pin-and-slot connection. anarm ,nig-

' i ly secured to the shaft h. The shaft h carries a second armfiH on the front of the 5 board, one endof which when raised engages the tri ping rnechanisn'i-v b of circuitbreaker- B, as s own in Fig 1. It is evident that if the rod G be moved toward the left in Fig; L the shaft it will be rocked so as to bring the :0 end of arm H inteiengagement with the-trip ping mechanism 6, while, on the other hand, owing to the pin-and-slot connection between. arm H. and rod G. arnt' H is free to. moveto,- ward the left a small distance without :0.-

duci any movement of the rod Gt fhe hafifi' carries a third arm H (shown in Fig,

1,) which ijscontrolled'by an underlioad or no.-

voltage release-coil I. The particular form of underljoad release shown consists of the 2o coili I and iitsarmature i, which normally hel'd' raised: in the position shownin Fig. 1;, but when coil I" is denergized armature '1' falls, as shown in Fig. 3, brin ing the nut i into engagementwith'the arm 2 and rocking shaft h, as shown. It is this movement which is permitted by the pin-and-slot connection between the arm H and rod G as long as rodG is in the position shown in Figs.

1 and 4. g y The operation is then as follows: With the parts of the interlocking mechanism in the Eositi'on shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4: the circuitreaker B may be tripped b the rocking of;

shaft 71; without movlng ro G, and conse- I 5 quently without interfering with circuitbreaker A, On the other hand, if circuit.- breaker' A is tripped by'its'. own] tripping device-pin D is. free to move forward; and con-- sequently spring F will produce a movement 40 of rod G toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 1 rocking shaft h and tri i'ng circuit-breaker -Bthat is, the parts wilbbe brought intothe position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Ifafter the reakers have tripped it is desired to close breaker B without again closing breaker A the pin; D may be pushed backward and given a uarter-turn, so as to bring the IOr jecti'on "into engagementwith the shou der. ion the stationary" member-J. The-projec- '50 tion d ish d" y h bcnsionl ofthe spring against the end. ofi the member-J; and be-.

tween, the shoulder and the pink. The in, D" is thereby preventedsiroin? moving or-- ward' into the position shown in Fig. and

' in thatfl'gnre, andheldjtheraso -as to etinitthe closing ofbreaker 'B..-W'itl'1o'ut being iinmediately tripped? againz-byjithc arm. H1.

When breaker ,A- is again closed, dnnvev'er,

69 pin D is lifted away from the end of the memer J, and the spring tu'rl' s'jthb 176d D to.

normal. position, in whiclipthe projection 01 is in line with the slot in the member'J, and the twobreakers are-interlocked, as before Although I have shown the rod' G con.-

Qbreaker.

toward the ri ght, as viewed,

nect'ed to the under-load tripping device of breaker Ba, my invention is obviously not limited to this particular arrangement. Consequently I do. not desire to limit myself to 1. In combination, two automatic circuitbreakers, a movable member operated by the 7 opening of one circuit, and.alost-m9h1on connection between. said: member and the tr ppingmechanism. of secon circuit:- breaker.

2. In. combination two, automatic circuit breaker a mova le. member oper ted by the,

opening of, one circuitrbreaker, and a. loose-l yet positive connection, between saidmemer, and the tripping mechanism of the-second circ nit-breaker, whereby amovemont oi member operates saidtripping mechanism. but a movement of said mechanism is P6111211):- ted without movement of said 'rneinbeng r 3. In combination-,two automatic circuits b1reakers, a spring-actuated memben connects.

ing said breakers, connections between oneofi said breakersv and; said member whereby.

movement of said member is prevented when said breaker is closed, and connections'be tween said. member and. the tnippingmechanism ot the second breaken 4. In combination, two. automatic circuitbreakers, a movable rod connecti said IOC breakers, a spring acting upon said; re con,--

'nectlons between said roda-nd one breaker whereby said. rod is moved against the pres sure of said spring when said breaker isclosed, connections. between said rod and the tripping mechanism, of the second: breaker whereby said breaker is tripped; when saidrod is. released. by the openingot the first breaker.

51' In combination, two: automatic circuitbreakers, a movable rod.- connectin said! breakers, a spring acting upon said l'-O connections between. said rod and one breaken whereby said rod. is moved against; the pres-- sureofi said spring when said breaker is closed, 2 g and a lost-motion connection between said, 1 rod and the'tripping m'echanismoi thesecond:

r to

6;- In combination, two automatic circuitQ I breakers' b'movable rod. connectin snide breaker-fife spring acting u on, said ro con:

y said. breaker is, tripped when; said. rod is.

nections. between-said rod and one breaker released. by the opening 0t the-,first breaker and means for, locking said; rod lhan. inoperatllve QOSLUOIL,

7. In combination, two autonn'itie oircnitbreakers, a movable member operated by the opening of one oircnitdireak'er, a losimrotion conneotiini between said member and the tripping mechanism of the second (*irrnit breaker, and means for looking said member in an inoperative position.

8. :Incombination, two automatio circuitbreake s, a movable member, operative'eonnections between said member end said breakers whereby the opening of one breaker trips the other, and means for ioek'ing said member in an inoperative position.

9. In oomlnnetion, two automatic 0 l i i l l E E z i breakers, movabierod loosei v'yet positively connected to the tripping meehanism oi one;

breaker, a spring tending to move said rod to trip said breaker, a member engaging said rod and adapted to beengagged by the second breaker when elosed to pn'sh said rod into an inoperative position, and means for lOPklilg said member to hold said rod in said position.

Wing

regardless of the position of said second breaker.

H. in combination, two automatic cironit breakers, a movable member, operative eonneetions between said member and said breakers whereby the opening of one breaker trips the other, and means for locking said member in an inoperative position, said looki ng means being released to permit said mov able member to return to, operative position when t ie first-mentioned circnit breaker is oiosed.

12. In combination, two automatic circuit breakers, a movable member, operative oon neotionsbeiween said member and said cir- Quit-breaker whereby the opening of one, breaker trips the other, a looselyqnounted' rod engaging said .movabl'e member, and n'i-eans 'forloeking the said rod in position to hold said movable member in inoperative position, said rod being released when moved e'ndwise by the dosing of the first-mentioned circuit breaker, whereby the movable member restored to operative position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of February, 1905. i CHARLES H, HILL. Witnesses: i

BENJAMIN BHULL, "HELEX ()RFORD. 

